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A message from our Pastor and Teacher
Sunday, January 12 ~ Baptism of the Lord ~ "The Seed Within"
This Sunday's Gospel reading is long. This is a feature of the "Narrative Lectionary" -- a resource of Luther Seminary in St. Paul Minnesota—which we will be using from now until Easter to guide our worship series on the Gospel of Luke. Unlike the Revised Common Lectionary, the narrative lectionary takes longer chunks of text for the week's lesson and arranges them more or less chronologically from Baptism to Resurrection of Jesus. At Plymouth Congregational Church of Belmont, we used the Narrative Lectionary for 5 years! I find it to be an excellent resource for teaching the Bible and organizing worship, and the best section of the narrative lectionary is the time between Epiphany and Easter when it reads through one of the four gospels (Narrative lectionary is on a 4-year cycle, one for each gospel, as opposed to the more common 3-year cycle).
We will learn more about this resource in the weeks to come, but more importantly, we will be on a journey through my favorite gospel of all, the Gospel of Luke, which amplifies the stories of women and calls for social justice more clearly than any other gospel (although they all have a clear call to love and action). Join us for this Sunday, when we meet John the Baptist and his "wild voice" calling for repentance and good fruit. Then we get the first public appearance of Jesus as an adult—his baptism in the River Jordan. In addition to our gospel lesson, we've got a very special guest: The Peppermint Ridge Rejoicers, their choir, blessing us with "Joy, Joy, Joy," "Peace Like a River," and "Amazing Grace."
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Concerns:
- Prayers for those affected by the Palisades, Eaton, Hurst, and other developing fires and the terrible windstorms this week. We say a special prayer for our sibling church, Altadena Community Church UCC, which was destroyed by the Eaton Fire.
- Ongoing prayers for Mary Lou Haney, and her daughter and caregiver Jennie. Mary Lou came home from an extended hospitalization on Tuesday, Jan. 7
- Prayers for Kimberly Anderson who passed from life to Life on Friday, Dec. 13. Her service will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 11 at RUCC. Prayers of comfort and healing for her husband Danny, her children Charles and Julia, and all those who knew and loved Kimberly.
- We renew our prayers for the victims of violence and oppression around the world. This week we lift up the Kurdish people in the Middle East and the challenges they face as an ethnic minority in the Middle East, particularly Turkey, Syria, Iran and Iraq.
Ongoing Concerns:
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Jerry Andrews
Johanna Ballard's brother
Bill Buchanan
Judith Gregory
Beki Hill
Harriet Holt, Beki Hill's mother
Paisley Parcell
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Jules Rattray’s sister, Jenny
Amber McGuigan
Cynthia McGuigan
Dondon and Scott Mong
Floyd Orr
Dee Dee Seek’s great grandson Jaxson
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Carl Parish
Robert Silver
Steffen family
Sforza family
Tom Miller
Janet Wilson’s great niece Amelia
Michael White
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Caring for Kin
January's Caring for Kin collection is for jackets, sweatshirts, and hoodies. Did you get some new, warm outerwear for Christmas? If so, your gently used clothing can go to our kin in need. Just drop it on the cart Sunday morning! New is good, too! And if you see a good sale, let us know so we can get in on the bargain!
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Morning-time fun in the Garden
We invite you to join us in the RUCC Garden for some fun playtime and learning activities!
- Saturday January 18, 9 a.m.-noon
- Kids Grades 12 and under
- Parents are welcome to stay and enjoy the morning or drop off their kids (permission slip required)
- We’ll begin the morning in Covenant Hall with some bagels and fruit!
- Kindly RSVP to al_education@redlandsucc.org
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Pilgrim Pines Winter Camp is Feb. 15-17
It’s almost time for Pilgrim Pines’ annual Winter Camp which takes place during Presidents’ Day Weekend. This program is open to kids 6th grade and older. This year's theme is "Belonging."
RUCC offers “camperships” (scholarship funds) to members and also to grandkids of members (even those who don’t attend RUCC).
Please contact al_education@redlandsucc.org if you are considering attending.
Use the following link to find more information about the program:
https://www.pilgrimpinescamp.org/wintercamp
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Annual Meeting is January 26
RUCC's annual meeting is January 26 after worship. We will have two formal votes at that meeting - first, to approve the recommended 2025 budget, and second, to elect the board for 2025. The nominating committee has put forth the slate below, which the board endorses. We will also accept additional nominations from the floor that day:
- President: Dan Abushanab
- Vice President: Patty Little
- Clerk: Sue Wallace
- Treasurer: Diana Steele-Jones
- Member at Large: Stacy Kaiser
- Growth: Michael Dewey
- Education: Andrea Morics and Jules Rattray
- Shepherds: Maegan Hill
- Stewards: Pam Dunn
- Hospitality: Kimberly Lara-Kane
- Wider Ministries: Kathie Blakely
- Worship: Barbie Fiske-Phillips
If you have any questions, please contact Dan Abushanab, RUCC Board President.
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Environmental justice message
The Biden administration in collaboration with five Native American Tribes proposed a first-of-its-kind resource management plan for Bears Ears National Monument in Utah that incorporates Traditional Ecological and Indigenous Knowledge.
The plan aims to manage the lands and resources of Bears Ears in collaboration with Tribes, to fulfill the vision of President Obama’s proclamation that established the monument and President Biden’s proclamation that restored its boundaries.
The proposed resource management plan will guide resource policies and procedures for the monument’s 1.36 million acres of public lands. It is the result of a multi-year collaboration with the Bears Ears Commission – the Ute Indian Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Zuni Tribe, Hopi Tribe and the Navajo Nation – and federal partners at the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service.
Source: “Bears Ears Makes History with Release of Proposed Management Plan in Collaboration with Five Tribes,” National Parks Conservation Association, Press Release, 10/15/24: https://www.npca.org/articles/5294-bears-ears-makes-history-with-release-of-proposed-management-plan-in
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Racial Justice reflection of the week
"Struggle is a never-ending process. Freedom is never really won, you earn it and win it in every generation."
- Coretta Scott King (1927–2006), American author, activist, civil rights leader, founder of the King Center
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Book Club - February 2
The RUCC Book Group will next meet on Feb. 2, 2025, in Founders Room after church, at noon. The selection for this meeting is The Sun Walks Down by Fiona McFarlane. Beth Kolpien will be the presenter.
“Fiona McFarlane’s blazingly brilliant new novel, The Sun Walks Down, tells the many-voiced, many-sided story of a boy lost in colonial Australia. ‘The Sun Walks Down is the book I’m always longing to find: brilliant, fresh, and compulsively readable. It is marvelous. I loved it start to finish.’ ―Ann Patchett” (Amazon review)
Upcoming RUCC Book Group dates and selections:
March 2: Drawn Testimony by Jane Rosenberg, April 6: James by Percival Everett, April 27: Feather Trails, by Sophie A. H. Osborn, No May Meeting, June 1: The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
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Game Night!
Game Night is Friday, January 17th, at 5:30 p.m. in Covenant Hall. It is fun for all ages. In addition to games, there is an art table. If you have a favorite game, please bring it. Eat before you come. Root beer floats served. You're invited to bring an item from this list that will be donated to the inpatients at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital. Some of these kids are hospitalized for months so let’s help them pass the time. Contact Ginny Cruz for more info.
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Epiphany Words are still available!
Did you miss the opportunity to choose an Epiphany Word? Fear not! A word is still waiting to choose you! Visit the words in their glass container in the back of the sanctuary, reach in, and make a year-long connection. The words are available through the month of January.
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Upcoming Dates to Remember
- January 11, 11 a.m. - Celebration of life for Kimberly Anderson
- January 17, 5:30 p.m. - Game Night (see article)
- January 26, 11:30 a.m. - Annual Meeting of the Congregation
- February 1, 9 a.m.-noon - Sacred Saturday
- February 2, 12 noon - Book Club (see article)
- February 22 - Rummage Sale (see article)
The church calendar is online at redlandsucc.org/calendar
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Sunday, January 12
- Seekers ~ 9:00 a.m. Social; 9:15 to 10:15 - Discussion - Founders Room.
- 9:30 a.m. – Kids’ Zone
- 10:30 a.m. – Worship service
- 11:30 a.m. - Fellowship in Covenant Hall
- 12:00 p.m. - Environmental Justice Team meeting - Garden Room
Monday, January 13
- 4 p.m. - Church Growth committee - Mosaic Hall
- 7 p.m. - Bible Study at church or online
Tuesday, January 14
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7:00 p.m. Stewards, Founders Room
Wednesday, January 15
- 1 p.m. - Mahjong, Mosaic Hall
- 7 p.m. - Choir rehearsal
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Thursday, January 16
Friday, January 17
- 5:30 p.m. - Game night, Covenant Hall
- 7 p.m. – Woman’s AA Meeting - Founders Room
Saturday, January 18
Sunday, January 19
- Seekers ~ 9:00 a.m. Social; 9:15 to 10:15 - Discussion - Founders Room.
- 9:30 a.m. – Kids’ Zone
- 10:30 a.m. – Worship service
- 11:30 a.m. - Fellowship in Covenant Hall
- 12 noon - Shepherd Leaders meeting, Founders Room
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RUCC Staff
Senior Pastor: Rev. Joe Zarro
Music Director: David Wells
Associate Music Director: Sophia Ohanian
Children's Education Director: Susi Jacobsen
Director of Youth Ministries: Kathy McCool
Office and Property Manager: Veronica Bermudez
Child Care: Caitlin Walsh
Website: www.redlandsucc.org
Phone: 909-793-3520
Staff and Other Emails
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pastor@redlandsucc.org
musicdirector@redlandsucc.org
childrenseducation@redlandsucc.org
youth@redlandsucc.org
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office@redlandsucc.org
weddings@redlandsucc.org
theview@redlandsucc.org
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